5 minute read
Making Tracks
AKG’S K371-BT: CLEVER CANS
By Erik V. Miller
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K371-BT: Studio headphones with Bluetooth. “YOU CAN PRESS PLAY, PAUSE, FAST-FORWARD, REWIND, AND MORE THROUGH TAPPING OR SWIPING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE EAR CUPS.”
If you are seeking a full-featured, sonically detailed, and comfortable pair of headphones – a set that’s versatile for different applications – then AKG’s K371-BT may be the cans you’re looking for.
First Impressions: Out of the box, they come with three high quality ¼-inch cables that have an adapter on the end that plugs and locks into the headphones. It also comes with a charging cable to power the headphones when running on Bluetooth, along with a very nice drawstring bag to hold accessories when traveling or for storage purposes.
Features: Outside of the Bluetooth and regular studio applications, the headphones also include a feature that I found out about by accident – the motion gestures on the side of the ears. You can press play, pause, fast-forward, rewind, and more through tapping or swiping on the outside of the ear cups. I think it’s a really great addition to the headphones, but it can also be an issue if you are the kind of person, like me, who fidgets a lot with things and you may trigger these commands by accident. So… careful with that feature.
The built-in microphone sounds good in different applications and it was certainly well-designed. But, the one feature that really stands out to me is the ability to fold the headphones and store them in the included bag. They are very poseable and can be adjusted to fit pretty much any size head comfortably in this way, which is wonderful in comparison to many other wireless headphones like these.
In Use: The K371-BT is an over-the-ear headphone system that sits very nicely. Also, it’s not too loud while covering your ears completely and comfortably with the quality leather that is used on the cups.
These headphones are labeled as “Professional Studio Headphones with Bluetooth,” and I think that is a major distinction in describing how these work in the best way. Very simply, it’s a set of professional studio headphones that delivers crisp, clear, and balanced sound to the person wearing them for music production, tracking, or any other studio application with ease. Secondly, it’s a pair of Bluetooth headphones.
Personally, I would not use Bluetooth for studio applications because it is widely unpredictable and the sound quality tends to vary with connection issues and other variables in the equation. However, I did try them to record vocals and do some mixing of a current track, and I will say that for the most part they were stable and sounded fine. Unfortunately, my audio interface does not support Bluetooth, so that’s where I ran into issues at first. Once I connected them to my computer and ran through the motions of using them in a studio setting, I wasn’t displeased.
But I believe I have some bias because I am still wary of using Bluetooth in that way. I am a very big fan of the versatility that comes with being able to plug in these headphones or go wireless. That feature gives them more value in my mind and makes them more than just studio headphones, but gives you the option of making them your go-to headphone for all around different applications.
On-the-go, these would be fantastic for delivering studio-quality replication through their 50mm Titanium coated drivers that range anywhere from 5hz to 40khz. One thing I did notice was that their low end drops off at a point and delivers less-than-accurate replication when going too low past the 40khz point. It’s something I only noticed in a few songs, so it may not be something that comes up for you – as they say, your mileage may vary.
Conclusions: Overall, the AKG K371-BT is a fantastic headphone set with great versatility, comfort and fullness of sound without being too much for your ears. This system has much of what is needed in a studio headphone, while also being great in other applications, like using them for daily music listening on your computer/phone, gaming with the builtin microphone, or many other things.
Thus, out of the box, AKG’s offering is a great product at the price point of $179 and delivers many features that others in that area do not. These would be a great addition to your studio arsenal and would be a great tracking headphone, on-the-go monitors, and many other applications like podcasting. If you’re looking to buy a new pair, then these just may be the headphones for you.
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